A Union of Dragons
by daenerysisms
Summary: When Jon Snow learns of his true identity, he refuses to shroud it in secrecy. The King in the North has a desire to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms, with the love of his life by his side — but will Daenerys accept his terms?
1. Blood Birthright

**Chapter One: Blood Birthright**

Standing by the fireplace in her private quarters in Winterfell, Daenerys watched the orange flames dance around the blackened firewood. It sparked and crackled and the heat from it washed against her face, bathing her in warmth she hadn't received in some time.

Sucking in a deep breath, she should have been thinking of the war that was almost on their doorstep. The Night King, the powers he possessed to create an army of dead men and beasts alike was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was terrifying, and yet it still didn't scare her more than the terrible secret Jon Snow had revealed to her the night they had arrived in the North.

Aegon Targaryen.

If it was true, if Jon Snow was the true-born son of her brother Rhaegar Targaryen, then he had a claim to the iron throne. All the allies and connections she had made in Westeros would fall from her already fragile grasp and into his lap. His birthright was a direct challenge to everything she had ever worked for, and it rattled her more than a million dead soldiers could.

Flinching as the stiff wooden door creaked open, she glanced over her shoulder and felt a wave of unease tumble in her belly as Jon greeted her with his steady dark gaze. It was as if he knew she had been thinking about him.

"Your Grace." He murmured, lowering his head respectfully as he hovered in the doorway. "I don't mean to disturb you..."

"You're not." Dany raised her chin and composed herself enough to smile at the King in the North, still feeling so deeply for him even after his revelation. "Close the door behind you, it'll keep the heat in."

Stepping inside the dark room that was lit by candlelight, Jon pushed the door shut and clicked the lock into place. It was a move that didn't go unnoticed by Daenerys as her pale violet eyes locked into his gloved hand before finding his face again.

His expression was unreadable, as it always seemed to be. Dark brow furrowed and lips pressed into a firm line, he took long strides towards her.

A breath hitched in her throat when one of his hands pressed against the small of her back, pulling her into his chest while the other tangled into her braided silver locks. His lips were against hers in an instant, a feverish crash of tongue and teeth as he breathed her in.

In this moment, titles and birthrights meant nothing. In this moment she had found heaven and she didn't want to leave.

"Jon..." She whispered lovingly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Leaning back, the King in the North peppered kisses down her pale throat and nuzzled his nose beneath her jaw. He could have drowned in her right there and then, but the bastard name that he had carried on his shoulders for all these years pulled him out of his trance.

Stroking his thumb against her lower lip, he gazed into her eyes and saw for himself the kind of love he had craved since Igrid's death.

"Aegon." He corrected her, his voice ragged. "Say it."

Daenerys was stunned into silence, and she was torn from the clouds above and thrust into reality once again. Facing the man she loved, the Targaryen Queen shook her head.

"I can't." She whispered, wanting the earth to swallow her whole.

"You can." He told her.

"If I say it — it makes it real." She said. "I can't."

"What are you so afraid of?" He asked, seeing terror bleed into her features. "You are my Queen, you will always be my Queen. My real name changes nothing between us."

"It changes everything!" Daenerys snapped, not understanding how Jon was so oblivious to it all. "You are the last male Targaryen heir, if Westeros learns that your name is Aegon Targaryen then I lose everything I have ever worked towards. I lose my claim."

"You will lose nothing." He assured her, the tone in his voice deep and unwavering. "You will rule the seven kingdoms of Westeros by my side, you will rule any land you choose to by my side. I will give you anything and everything you could ever want, so long as you give yourself to me now and always."

Daenerys parted her lips to speak, but she was speechless as Jon took her face between his hands. "I bent the knee for you because I love you, would you do the same for me?"

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading the first chapter of this story. I have five chapters of A Union of Dragons written which are already published on A03, but also wanted to publish the story here on FF for those who might not see it elsewhere. Let me know what your thoughts are and if you would like to read more! I feel as if Jon Snow was a shell of himself in the show, and decided to write a version that is a little darker and has a **LOT** more backbone.


	2. A King's Speech

**Chapter Two: A King's Speech**

"What kind of madman rides on the back of a fucking dragon?" Tormund bellowed and slapped an open palm against Jon's shoulder as he addressed the other Wildlings and Northmen, spurred on by their drunken cheering. "This man right here may be little but his cock is almost as big as mine, to the King in the North!"

The men erupted into laugher and roars as they chugged at their ale greedily, and Jon grinned wide up at his Wildling brother as he sat at the head of the table in Winterfell's great hall. It had been one day since the war had been won, and who would have thought that the blade used to kill the Night King would be thrusted by Arya Stark. Jon scanned the faces in the hall, looking for his youngest sister until his gaze found Daenerys.

She sat on the far side of the table, alone and quiet. The sad faraway look in her violet eyes didn't sit well with the King, she played perhaps the biggest part in defeating their enemies and she should have been celebrating with everybody else in the room. He would have had every surviving man kneel before her and kiss her feet if he wasn't the jealous type, and he suspected Sansa would implode from rage if he ever pulled a stunt like that.

He pressed his tongue against his teeth and sighed heavily, knowing that Dany felt out of place in the North. In her eyes, these people were not her friends. Northerners were wary, they weren't the type to trust easily – especially when it came to foreign dragon queens. It was a cold truth that she couldn't grasp, everybody she had ever met had fallen in love with her and given her their absolute loyalty until now. Now, they barely looked her way and he knew it affected her.

"To Daenerys Targaryen!" His deep voice shouted above the others, gaining the attention of most of the men and women in the hall whose voices dimmed into whispers. Standing to his feet, Jon commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Even Tormund fell into his seat gracelessly and shoved his drinking tusk into the air, spilling ale in every direction as he toasted to the Queen.

The silver-haired beauty snapped out of her thoughts in an instant, turning to gaze at the King who stared back at her intently with smouldering dark eyes. They had barely spoken a word to each other since she had stormed out on him the other night, she was still unable to accept the reality of his true identity. He knew this was difficult for her, and so he would do everything in his power to win her over.

"Without her, none of us would be standing here to celebrate anything. We'd all be dead." He stated, never taking his eyes from her as he delivered his speech. "The North remembers those who aid us in times of need, and songs will be sung about Daenerys for thousands of years to come. Our children's children will know the names of her dragons, they will know about the Unsullied and the Dothraki armies who sacrificed their lives in battle that was not theirs to fight."

Daenerys gazed at Jon and felt her sadness swell into gratitude as he delivered a beautiful speech that she never expected. Tears threatened to cloud her vision, but she clinched her jaw and held her composure as countless pairs of eyes stared at her including those of Sansa Stark who didn't look in the least bit impressed.

"To our Queen." He finished proudly and brought the ale to his lips, gulping down the rest of it.

"To our Queen!" Came a chorus of voices and cheers, some Northerners gave a standing ovation while others banged their fists on their wooden tables in a rhythm to celebrate.

Daenerys smiled widely and nodded gratefully, finally feeling as if she weren't the only stranger in a room full of friends. Jon swiped at his ale stained beard with his forearm and shouldered his way through the men that congregated around him, making his way over to her.

Sansa Stark watched from one of the tables near the back of the room as she sat with The Hound, never removing her icy glare from Jon who took a seat next to Daenerys.

"He might as well have fucked her in front of every fucker in this room." Sandor Clegane mumbled as he tore into a piece of chicken like a rabid dog.

Sansa glared back at the former King's Guard and gulped back her disgust before looking over at her brother once again. "He loves her." She stated. "Love tends to make men do stupid things, it seems as though my brother is no exception."

Sandor snorted and stared back at the redheaded lady, his lips coated in grease. "Jealous, Little Bird?"

Sansa sneered. "Absolutely not. I just know a mistake when I see one, and trusting a dragon queen is a mistake."

"All people are cunts, that's just how it is in this world." He muttered. "Like your brother said, we'd all be marching in the army of the dead if it wasn't for her, so I say she's not the worst cunt out of the bunch."

Sansa sighed, not able to find the words to respond to the Hound as she watched Jon take Dany's hand and lead her away from the table and out of the hall for the night.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Let me know your thoughts so far!


	3. Ice and Fire

**Chapter 3: Ice and Fire**

Slipping out into one of the few dark hallways of Winterfell that was fully intact, Daenerys bristled at the icy breeze that blew against her neck and began walking in the direction of her quarters. No Unsullied soldiers nor any Dothraki warlords protected her as she made her way towards one of the candlelit stairways, no Jorah or Missandei by her side to reassure her. Instead the King in the North and rightful heir of the Seven Kingdoms followed closely behind, his looming presence enough to make her knees tremble as she began her assent to the upper level of the damaged castle.

"The people love you; I saw that tonight in the way they cheered for you." She mumbled, breaking the tense silence that had fallen between them. Glancing over her shoulder to see if he was behind her, Daenerys felt her stomach flutter wildly as he stared back at her just as intensely as he had the first night he had made love to her.

"They were cheering for you, for what you did for them." He corrected her, his voice low and ragged in the quiet stairwell. "I would've had it no other way."

"I think they'd cheer for anyone you praised." She smiled and made it to the second level of the castle, following the familiar route to the room she had claimed as her own for the time being. "Northern men love drinking ale and shouting your title, it wouldn't surprise me if they cheered for a beggar if that's what you willed."

Jon narrowed his eyes, noticing the extent of the distrust she had for the North and for him. It frustrated him more than she would ever know. "You think the speech I gave wasn't good enough." He stated.

Daenerys turned then, stopping in her tracks to look him in the eye. "No, that's not what I meant. The speech you gave me was…" She trailed off, shaking her head and taking a step closer to the man she loved so much that it terrified her. "I know you believe what you said, but they will never trust me like they trust you – no matter how many beautiful speeches you make. Sansa will make sure of that, your sister looks at me like I'm the enemy and that will never change."

"Sansa used to look at me like I was the enemy when we were children, as soon as she was old enough to know what a bastard was she treated me like I was the dirt on the bottom of her shoe. You'll never be a Stark she told me, you're just a bastard father brought back from a flea market." Jon told Dany, quoting his sister's words. He remembered a time where he was treated as an outsider in his own family, cast aside like a mistake everyone wanted to forget. He knew how she felt.

Daenerys's eyes softened as he shared a part of his past with her, and inside her chest bubbled a deep resentment for Sansa Stark. "If only she knew that the bastard she grew up with has blood purer than hers could ever hope to be." The dragon queen bit out and pushed open the door to her quarters, realising quickly that she had just acknowledged his birth right out loud. It was too late to take it back, not that she felt like she needed to. "You were never a Stark."

Pulling free her red gloves, Dany tossed them aside and looked to Jon who closed the door behind him. Her heart was beating fast and hard now and she felt heat stirring inside her belly, between her thighs as he waited for her to give him what he wanted. It was on the tip of her tongue, the truth she was terrified of facing.

"But you've always been a dragon." She murmured, not knowing if she was ready to submit to him yet but still submitting anyway. She felt her power slipping with every word that left her mouth, but he gave her back that power in the way he looked upon her like she was a goddess. "That's why we connect the way we do, because we're bonded by fire and blood."

Jon's eyes had darkened until they were almost black, his jaw loose and his shoulders tense as Dany spoke to him in her sweet seductive voice that made him as hard as steel. Grabbing at the scabbard belt around his torso that held his sword and dagger in place, the King in the North loosened the tough leather and yanked it free, throwing it aside with a loud clanging thump as it hit the wooden floorboards.

Sliding her hands up her waist, Dany began untying the intricate fabric that held her red and silver dress in place. "You want me to bend the knee for you, then make me." She whispered as a lust filled challenge and slid free from the constricting fabric, letting it fall and gather around her bare ankles. She was naked, and the most breath-taking sight he had ever seen in all his years.

Wasting little time in ridding himself of his armour, Jon swiped a hand through his tangled mess of black curly hair and strode towards her. His hands were on her instantly, everywhere as he ground his lips against hers in a desperate kiss. She gasped into his mouth as he lifted her and threw her on the grey wolfskin throw that lay on the bed, pinning her between the mattress and his body. His skin was cold and hers hot, a perfect song of ice and fire entwined once again.

For hours they were locked together in the throws of passion, cries of pleasure echoed through the bitter winter night as he showed her just how obsessed he was with her. Pinning her by the throat, the King squeezed just tight enough to make her body arch against him and as he thrust one final time inside her, she gasped out the name

"Aegon."


	4. The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter Four: The Calm Before the Storm**

Candlelight flickered in the dark, casting shadows on the bold grey walls and ceiling of the grand bedchamber. The flames seemed to dance in quiet victory, a soft orange glow casting over a King and Queen who lay in each other's arms beneath the warmth of a wolf's skin. The bastard name given to Aegon had died tonight, Daenerys would never again address him as Jon Snow privately .

Publicly was an entirely different matter.

Aegon had yet to tell her when he planned to reveal his true name to the Lords in the North, the not knowing was what continued to rattle her nerves. The worst possible scenarios played in her mind over and over again, ones where she was humiliated and ones where she was exiled. Every horrible thing she could think of kept her awake, becoming so overwhelming that she stirred from her slumber and sat upright.

Violet eyes gazed down at Aegon as he slept soundly, the peaceful look he had on his face a rare sight and one she envied. How could he sleep knowing what he knew? She wondered what his dreams were filled with. Perhaps he was winning battles or drinking ale with Wildlings, maybe he was sitting on the Iron Throne ruling over Westeros...

Sighing softly, the troubled dragon queen shifted her weight, untangling her legs from the sheets that smelled of him and moved to stand. But before she could, she felt his hand slide around her wrist gently.

"Where are you going?" Aegon mumbled lazily, dark eyes raking over her bare back as he stirred from his sleep.

"Nowhere." She reassured him, turning to smile softly at her King. "I just need to stretch my legs."

Pushing himself up to sit against the headboard, Aegon eyed her curiously. He was rugged looking in this light. Dark curls were a mess atop his head, the stubble on his face had grown to the point that it was an almost beard. The light coat of dark hair that peppered his scarred chest trailed down his torso and over his abs, down past his hip bones and beneath the sheets.

"Stretch them over my shoulders then." He teased and tugged her back towards him.

Dany let out a sweet laugh that was like music to his ears and slid an arm around her waist, yanking her back against his body.

"Haven't you had enough of me for one night?" She smiled wide and rested a hand against his chest, her fingers tracing the scars on his skin.

"Never." He mused.

Pressing a gentle kiss against his lips, she gazed longingly into his eyes. "When are you going to tell them?"

Aegon sighed deeply at the question that had been weighing heavily on his mind. It was a good question and one he didn't know the answer to yet. But he could see that Dany was restless and so he improvised. "After the war is won against Cersei and we take King's Landing, I'll have Sam send ravens to the Lords of Westeros."

Resting her head atop his chest, Daenerys felt more at ease knowing that Aegon was not going to rush into this blindly. "All my life, I have been dreaming of seeing the throne that my..." She paused and smiled. "That our ancestors built. They say it's made from a thousand of Aegon's enemies swords, forged by dragon fire. A throne made by a dragon for a dragon."

There was a pause as Aegon trailed his fingers along her side, enjoying the feel of her soft skin beneath his touch. "It sounds monstrous."

"I think it sounds beautiful." Dany shifted her weight closer to the King and lifted her head to gaze at him. "Promise me that when you take the Kingdoms, you'll allow me to sit on it just once."

He smirked at her then, the innocence in her voice something he was not used to hearing. She was wide eyed and stunning, and he was smitten with her. Aegon didn't care for the iron throne physically, he was not a King who planned sit on a chair for the rest of his days while other men fought for him in the field. He cared only for the power that the throne's name carried.

"If the throne is what you want, then I'll give it to you." He whispered, stroking his knuckles along her cheek. "You'd look much better sitting on it than I ever would, that's for damn sure."

Dany's heart skipped a beat and she felt herself falling even more deeply in love with him than she thought possible. "I think you're right." She teased and yelped out when he nipped her ass playfully.

"It'll be dawn soon, we should get as much rest as we can before we discuss war tomorrow." He told her. "It's going to be a long few days."

"I know." She murmured, resting her head back against his chest again, the sound of his heartbeat helping ease her into a deep sleep.


	5. The Dragon and the Wolves

**Chapter Five: The Dragon and the Wolves**

"We will rip her out root and stem."

What was left of the Northern Lords and commanders of Daenerys's armies congregated within the strategy war room of Winterfell, discussing how they would remove Cersei from the capital. Half of all the dragon queen's armies had fallen in the Great War, as had the Northern troops. But with Drogon and Rhaegal on their side, they were at an advantage.

"Remember, the goal is to remove Cersei without destroying King's Landing." Tyrion Lannister looked to Daenerys and then to the map of Westeros that stood on the table in front of them all. "I watched the people rebel against their King when they were hungry, and that was before winter began. Give them the opportunity and they will cast Cersei aside."

"We'll surround the city." Aegon spoke out confidently, commanding the attention of his Northern allies. "If the Iron fleet tries to ferry in more food, the dragons will destroy them. If the Lannisters and the Golden Company attack, we'll defeat them in the field."

"Once the people see that Cersei is their only enemy, her reign is over." Tyrion said matter-of-factly.

There was a long pause and Daenerys lifted her violet gaze from the map, quietly enjoying the thought of an easy victory over Lannister scum without having to massacre innocents. It was a good plan.

"If I may…" Varys spoke out from where he stood beside his Queen. "I have received word that Euron Greyjoy has left the capital." Daenerys turned, eyeing her advisor as he stepped in towards the map. "My birds tell me their entire fleet has been weaponised with scorpions, it seems Cersei has improvised new tactics in an attempt to kill your dragons your grace."

Aegon clinched his jaw as Dany looked over at him, anger and hurt from losing her dragon Viserion flooded her eyes. The thought of another dragon dying terrified her, but he wouldn't allow that to happen. "Do we know where they're headed?"

"Dragonstone." Varys said and moved the Greyjoy Sigel on the map towards the Targaryen homestead. "His fleet will be waiting for us there when we set sail for King's Landing, I think it would be in our best interests to send a raven to the Iron Islands."

"Yara Greyjoy and her fleet will give us an advantage over Euron if she were to ambush them from the back." Tyrion noted, and slid a second Greyjoy Sigel towards Dragonstone on the map. "As for the dragons – he will be ready for them. It's entirely your decision on how you handle the skies."

Daenerys sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. The Great War had taken its toll on her dragon queen emotionally, every step she took it felt as if she were thrown ten steps back. "Send the raven." She murmured and Varys nodded.

"We'll need another raven." Aegon announced, and Dany looked up at him. "We have another ally in the South with a fleet of ships." Turning to scan the faces of his Northmen and allies, the King's stare found the face of newly ordained Gendry Baratheon.

The son of Robert Baratheon lifted his chin and stood straight.

"You have men who will fight for you if that's what you ask of them. Storm's End has the Narrow Sea at its back, if your men set sail to meet Yara Greyjoy then we'll have the numbers to defeat Euron before he even has the chance to look for dragons."

"I'll send a raven south." Gendry agreed to the plan, his eyes lingering on Arya Stark who stood beside Sansa for a moment before he nodded at Daenerys. "I will fight for you, for both of you." He said boldly and turned to Aegon who clapped a hand on his shoulder proudly.

"Cersei's fleet will sink beneath the waves as Greyjoy and Baratheon banners surround them." Tyrion Lannister moved the Baratheon Sigel next to Greyjoy and looked up at Daenerys who smiled down at the ambush that was unfolding beneath her very eyes.

"Alright." She agreed, looking to Aegon with a twinkle in her eye that didn't go unnoticed by Sansa Stark.

"This all sounds very good in theory, but we are forgetting that we just fought one war." Lady Stark broke her silence. "The men are exhausted; they need time to recuperate before you thrust them into another." There was a bitter bite in her tone as she glared at Daenerys.

"And exactly how much time do you suggest we hold back?" Dany asked, narrowing her eyes at Sansa who rolled her shoulders into a shrug.

"I can't say for certain, not until we speak with the commanders."

"I came North to fight alongside you with great cost to my armies and myself, and now that the time has come to reciprocate you want to postpone?" She asked pointedly, rage bubbling deep within her chest at Sansa's suggestion. It was as if the redhead was determined to undermine every decision she made, and it infuriated her. "The longer my enemies are left alone, the stronger they become. Cersei has scorpions on her fleet, no doubt she'll be mounting them around King's Landing as we speak – if we don't hit her now while we still have a good chance, then who knows how long she'll continue to sit in the Keep that my ancestors built."

Both women exchanged fierce glares, they didn't see eye-to-eye when it came to the war and they never would. Daenerys stood her ground and nodded towards Varys who quietly exited the room, followed closely by Gendry.

"Throwing our men into a war when they're not ready is a mistake, one you'll live to regret." Sansa muttered, and Dany tensed at the thinly-veiled threat.

It was then that Aegon turned to his sister, his lips pressing into a firm line at her lack of respect. "That's enough. The Northern forces will honour their promises and their allegiance to the Queen of the seven kingdoms." His voice was deep and firm as he glared at Sansa and then to Arya who hadn't expected him to take the dragon queen's side so boldly.

Daenerys eyed the Starks and felt her heart swell when Aegon defended her, not only from his sister but in front of his men too. Keeping her composure calm, she gazed at her King lovingly when he turned to face her again. His eyes were smouldering, the anger he possessed making him all the more attractive. Oh how she wanted to push him back against the map and straddle him in front of everyone, she could see their faces now in her mind. Biting back a wicked smile, she instead looked to Tyrion.

"So, if we are all in agreement…" He started. "The Northmen will ride down the King's Road with Jon and Ser Davos, along with the bulk of the remaining Unsullied and Dothraki. A smaller group of us will ride to White Harbour where we will sail from there to Dragonstone to confront Euron and his fleet. The Baratheon fleet will sail from Storm's End through the Narrow Sea to ambush Euron from the back, while Yara Greyjoy will sail from the North. Queen Daenerys and her dragons will accompany us, though I do suggest that you fly high out of sight."

"They won't see us in the clouds." She murmured.

"Ser Davos can ride the King's Road with Jamie Lannister." Aegon stated, changing the details of the plan. "I will accompany Daenerys to White Harbour, if Euron somehow manages to avoid death by ship then it'll make sense that we destroy him with dragon fire."

Tyrion looked at the King in the North and glanced over to Sansa who looked pale and horrified by her brother's obsession with the dragon queen. But the dwarf knew it was a decision that would greatly benefit them in the grand scheme of things.

"We have won the Great War." Dany smiled, lifting her chin high as she addressed the room. "Now we will win the Last War, in all seven kingdoms men will live without fear and cruelty under their rightful Queen." She glanced at Aegon then, knowing that soon he would take the title of King of the seven kingdoms and rule with her by his side.

Ending her speech on a high, the beauty turned from the map and headed out of the room to have one last feast before they set off on their journey. Aegon moved to follow her when Arya stepped in front of him, gazing up with her wide blue eyes. "We need a word." She told him and looked to Sansa.

"Without Daenerys, we would all be dead. We would all be marching in the Night King's army." Aegon told his sisters as they stood outside beneath the godswood. Snow surrounded them, cold and unwavering as the King's patience.

"Arya is the one who killed the Night King!" Sansa interrupted, waving a hand towards her younger sister.

"She wouldn't have gotten the chance to if it weren't for Daenerys's armies and dragons laying waste to the bulk of dead men who would've swamped us!" Aegon shouted, glaring at the redhead. "Her men died for the North."

"And we will never forget them, but that doesn't mean I will kneel –"

"You will kneel." Aegon stated, interrupting Sansa before she had the chance to finish her sentence. "I swore myself and the North to her cause, and we will fight for her as she has fought for us. There is no argument to be had here."

Sansa fell silent, disturbed by how firm her brother truly was. There was a time where he wasn't so sure of himself, this bold nature was new and frightening.

"We needed her armies and we needed her dragons, you're doing the right thing by defending her." Arya told him, nodding as she did so. "And we're doing the right thing by telling you we don't trust your Queen."

"She has given you no reason not to trust her. You don't know yet, not like I do."

"I don't need to know her, she's not one of us." Arya mumbled.

Aegon bit down on his teeth in frustration and furrowed his brow at this conversation that was nothing but an attack on the woman who had saved them all. His sisters were ungrateful, and he had, had enough.

"We are family." Arya continued, smiling softly at him. "The last of the Starks, we need to stick together."

Glaring back at his little sister who had never really been his sister at all, Aegon felt the secrecy of his true identity rise in his chest. His plan had been to keep this between him and Daenerys until the war was over, until then it would have been an unnecessary distraction. One that would affect Dany more than it would him, and by all costs he wanted to protect her. But the hatred that the girls sprouted for his Queen was a matter he could no longer tolerate. "I've never been a Stark." He stated and watched as Bran looked at him from where he sat between Sansa and Arya.

"You are. You're just as much Ned Stark's child as the rest of us." Sansa assured him, stepping in closer to her brother.

"You're my brother." Arya said. "Not my half-brother or bastard brother – my brother."

Aegon looked at little Arya then, seeing the innocent girl he had protected since birth. She had always treated him fairly, always had seen him as her equal. Sighing, he shook his head. "No, I'm not. I've never been your brother. I've never been a bastard."

Glancing at each other, Sansa and Arya fell quiet in confusion.

"My name – my real name…" He started. "Is Aegon Targaryen."

"What?" Both sisters asked in unison, a look of disbelief and shock falling upon their features.

"Ned Stark found his sister Lyanna in Dorne before she died. She had given birth to a baby boy fathered by Rhaegar Targaryen, and instructed Ned to protect that child whatever the cost or King Robert would've killed him. That child was me." He revealed, watching them both process the information for the very first time.

"That makes you the heir to the seven kingdoms, not Daenerys." Sansa finally murmured, blinking up at him. "She has no claim, so why follow her every order?"

"Dany knows and has accepted that she's no longer going to rule over Westeros, I told her I would hold back on my claim until the war is over. I promised her this and now I've broken that promise because you two refuse to bend the knee to her for reasons that aren't good enough." Aegon said, eyeing them both carefully. "You don't have to like Daenerys, but you will address her with the respect she deserves. When I take the seven kingdoms, she will be by my side and you will bend the knee."

The girls fell silent, not knowing what to say. They were speechless.

"I ride with Dany to White Harbour at dawn, Winterfell is yours to command." He nodded to Sansa and turned to head back inside the castle, leaving behind the Starks.

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**A/N:** Guys, I am so pleased how many of you are liking this story so far. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Two Halves of One Whole

**Chapter Six: Two Halves of One Whole**

"You poor soul." Dany sighed softly as she gazed up at the smaller of her dragons, Rhaegal. The great green beast was injured from his valiant efforts in the battle against the Night King and Viserion. Holes had been torn in his left wing, and they looked painful, but he didn't seem to be in too much distress. Time would tell if he would cope in the air, and she prayed to the Gods he would soar high and proud just as he always had. The dragon purred and grunted deeply, the thundering sounds escaping his snout affectionately as he lowered his head to look at her.

Reaching a hand to stroke the hardened green scales along his jaw, Dany smiled softly when she heard footsteps approach from behind. "How is he?"

She glanced at Aegon as he came to stand by her side. "Brave." She told him. "My dragons have served me loyally from the day I birthed them into this world, they survive the worst that's thrown their way and they thrive because of it. His wing is hurt, if he doesn't fly as well as Drogon I want him to keep his distance behind the fleet while we sail. He'll be safer there, Euron Greyjoy is prepared and I will not lose another dragon. I can't."

Aegon looked at Dany for a long moment, sensing the fear in her tone as she petted Rhaegal and gazed upon him lovingly. He remembered what she had told him when they confronted Cersei Lannister at the dragon-pit in King's Landing, that these dragons were the only children she would ever have. They meant more to her than anything.

"I will keep him as safe as I can." He told her and leaned in towards Rhaegal, his features tightening as he reached his own hand out next to hers. Brushing his gloved fingers along his scales, the King still felt a flicker of uncertainty wash through him when the dragon sniffed at him. "He fought against the army of the dead, a fleet of ships is nothing."

He smiled then as he looked at Daenerys, the warmth in his dark eyes genuine and she smiled in return. Sliding her arms around his torso, she hugged herself against him and closed her eyes when he pressed a kiss against the top of her head. "I want this to go as smoothly as possible — I want Euron Greyjoy destroyed and I want Cersei Lannister to surrender. No bloodshed, no innocents caught in between it all, no dragon fire. Just peaceful surrender."

Aegon licked at his lower lip and furrowed his brow. "Cersei won't back down, she never has and she won't start now. But we stick to the plan, and the people will cast her aside just as Tyrion said they would. They have no love for a Queen who gives them nothing but misery."

Pulling back just enough to look up at her King, Daenerys studied his expression quietly. He always managed to make the best of a terrible situation, always reassured her that things would work out exactly the way they should. And yet something rigged within the deepest part of her soul, reminding her that this man was going to follow through with his claim and take the seven kingdoms.

She had accepted his birth-right, she had accepted that his name was Aegon Targaryen and she had bent the knee as he had for her. But still, she couldn't bring herself to face the fact that everything she had ever worked for to get to this very moment was slipping from her grasp.

"What's wrong?" Aegon asked, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

Dany blinked out of her thoughts and held his gaze for a moment as she debated with herself on whether she should voice her concerns or not. She loved Aegon with everything she had and she needed him in the war to come, but she was terrified that he wouldn't fight for her if she said the wrong thing.

"When we made love the other night, I bent the knee for you just as you had for me. I see the good in you, I know you'll make a good King for the people in Westeros and I know they'll adore you in King's Landing just as they do in the North." She began, feeling nerves knot inside her stomach. "Your claim to the throne is right and it's valid, but so is mine."

Aegon listened to her and could see the tremble in her full lips as she spoke.

"I lost Viserion to save you and your people, because I love you. I lost half of all my armies to the Night King fighting for your people, because I love you. I lost Jorah and now it feels like I'm losing myself." She looked down at the snow between them, not wanting to appear weak but feeling the tears swell in her eyes anyway. "I came to Westeros to rule, and now everything I've suffered to get here feels like it was for nothing."

Ready for him to argue back against her, Daenerys prepared herself for the worst possible outcome when she felt his gloved hands slide against her cheeks, cupping her face as he forced her to look up at him again. She expected to see anger or confusion staring back at her, but he was calm and collected.

"I love you." He said. "I love you more than anything in this world, more than any throne or kingdom and I am forever in your debt when it comes to saving the North. You are a Queen, you will always be a Queen and if ruling over the seven kingdoms is what it takes for me to keep you by my side then we will rule together."

"There can only be one monarch ruling over Westeros..." Dany shook her head, shocked by the suggestion that Aegon had spoken. For a moment she wondered if he was mad.

"Decided by who? Kings who are long gone and who have no say in what right and wrong is. If my Queen wants to rule then she will, not beneath me but as an equal." He told her, his smile pulling into a smirk as he stroked a thumb against her lips. "I can't give you your dragon back, but I can give you this."

Her bafflement turned to lust, a great wave of want crashed through her body as she slid her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. His fingers tangled into her silver hair, tugging at it as he kissed her deeply. Rhaegal watched in wonder and Drogon swooped down from the sky, landing thunderously by his brother. Snow flew in the air from the impact and rained down over the Targaryen couple, forcing them apart in surprise.

Aegon turned to look up at the largest and blackest of Dany's dragons. Drogon was beyond intimidating, and he stared at the King intently. Dany couldn't help but let loose a small laugh at the stare-off.

"I think he's ready to fly." Aegon turned and raised his brow at Dany who brushed past him seductively, leaning up to kiss him one final time.

"He's always ready to fly." She told him. "If we're fast enough, we can make it to the waterfall before our armies reach White Harbour. Then I can show you just how appreciative I am that you've done everything in your power to appease me, my love."

Aegon steadied his hands on his hips as she strut past him in her beautiful white winter coat that matched the snow beneath her. She climbed her way up onto Drogon's back and smirked down at him.

"Marry me." He breathed.

"I will." She smiled mischievously. "If you catch me first."

And in a loud swoop of black wings, Drogon leaped into the air with his mother on his back and began to fly up towards the clouds. Aegon was quick to mount Rhaegal, and followed after his Queen clumsily as the dragon's injured wing struggled to fully glide through the air.


End file.
